project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
The Welsh Farmland Bird Initiative: Overwinter feeding of farmland birds to reverse biodiversity decline on productive pasture-based farms
The Welsh Farmland Bird Initiative: Overwinter feeding of farmland birds to reverse biodiversity decline on productive pasture-based farms
Objectives
There are many opportunities within pasture based farming that could help reverse the decline of farmland birds. In this two and a half year project one dairy farmer in Denbighshire and one sheep farmer in Conwy will be working closely with The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) to investigate whether providing over winter habitat and over winter supplementary feeding can help boost farmland bird numbers.
Objectives
Mae nifer o gyfleoedd o fewn systemau ffermio’n seiliedig ar y borfa a allai helpu i wyrdroi dirywiad yn niferoedd adar tir fferm. Yn ystod y prosiect dwy flynedd a hanner hwn, bydd un ffermwr llaeth yn Sir Ddinbych ac un ffermwr defaid yng Nghonwy yn gweithio’n agos gyda’r Ymddiriedolaeth Anifeiliaid Hela a Chadwraeth Bywyd Gwyllt (GWCT) i ymchwilio i weld a allai darparu cynefin ynghyd â bwyd ychwanegol dros y gaeaf helpu i gynyddu niferoedd adar tir fferm.
Activities
A cover crop will be selected for each farm and also their placement. These cover crops are designed to meet the needs of each farm, and also deliver over-winter food for seed eating farmland birds and provide cover from predators and adverse weather for a host of other wildlife. Bird feeding stations will also be set up across both farms which will provide supplementary feed for the birds over the winter. Supplementary feeding will hopefully decrease winter mortality and ensure a higher adult breeding population in the following spring. Surveys will then be undertaken throughout the project to record bird and also pollinator numbers to analyse the effects of these approaches.
Activities
Bydd cnydau gorchudd yn cael ei ddewis i bob fferm, ynghyd â lle i’w plannu. Bydd rhain wedi’u llunio i fodloni gofynion y ddwy fferm, ynghyd â darparu bwyd dros y gaeaf ar gyfer adar tir fferm, a darparu cysgod rhag ysglyfaethwyr a thywydd garw ar gyfer llu o fywyd gwyllt arall. Bydd ardaloedd bwydo adar hefyd yn cael eu gosod ar draws y ddwy fferm a fydd yn darparu bwyd ychwanegol i’r adar dros y gaeaf. Gobeithio y bydd bwydo atodol yn lleihau nifer y marwolaethau dros y gaeaf ac yn sicrhau poblogaeth fridio uwch ymhlith yr adar llawn dwf yn y gwanwyn canlynol. Yn dilyn hynny, bydd arolygon yn cael eu cwblhau trwy gydol y prosiect i gofnodi niferoedd adar a pheillwyr er mwyn dadansoddi effaith y dulliau hyn.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Location
- Main geographical location
- Conwy and Denbighshire
- Other geographical location
- Flintshire and Wrexham
€ 46738
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
There are many opportunities within pasture based farming that could help reverse the decline of farmland birds. In this two and a half year project one dairy farmer in Denbighshire and one sheep farmer in Conwy will be working closely with The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) to investigate whether providing over winter habitat and over winter supplementary feeding can help boost farmland bird numbers.
At the beginning of the project careful consideration will be given as to which cover crop to use on each farm and also their placement. These cover crops are designed to meet the needs of each farm, and also deliver over-winter food for seed eating farmland birds and provide cover from predators and adverse weather for a host of other wildlife. Bird feeding stations will also be set up across both farms which will provide supplementary feed for the birds over the winter. Supplementary feeding will hopefully decrease winter mortality and ensure a higher adult breeding population in the following spring. Surveys will then be undertaken throughout the project to record bird and also pollinator numbers to analyse the effects of these approaches.
These techniques have been scientifically proven to boost farmland bird numbers elsewhere in the UK and this project aims to demonstrate this outcome on two pasture-based farms in Wales. Hopefully the project will show that these simple measures can be effective methods of bird conservation whilst also being able to fit in with commercial livestock farming. With the potential move towards subsidised support to deliver public goods on farms this project aims to give an example of how it can be delivered at a farm scale.
Mae nifer o gyfleoedd o fewn systemau ffermio’n seiliedig ar y borfa a allai helpu i wyrdroi dirywiad yn niferoedd adar tir fferm. Yn ystod y prosiect dwy flynedd a hanner hwn, bydd un ffermwr llaeth yn Sir Ddinbych ac un ffermwr defaid yng Nghonwy yn gweithio’n agos gyda’r Ymddiriedolaeth Anifeiliaid Hela a Chadwraeth Bywyd Gwyllt (GWCT) i ymchwilio i weld a allai darparu cynefin ynghyd â bwyd ychwanegol dros y gaeaf helpu i gynyddu niferoedd adar tir fferm.
Bydd cnydau gorchudd yn cael ei ddewis i bob fferm, ynghyd â lle i’w plannu. Bydd rhain wedi’u llunio i fodloni gofynion y ddwy fferm, ynghyd â darparu bwyd dros y gaeaf ar gyfer adar tir fferm, a darparu cysgod rhag ysglyfaethwyr a thywydd garw ar gyfer llu o fywyd gwyllt arall. Bydd ardaloedd bwydo adar hefyd yn cael eu gosod ar draws y ddwy fferm a fydd yn darparu bwyd ychwanegol i’r adar dros y gaeaf. Gobeithio y bydd bwydo atodol yn lleihau nifer y marwolaethau dros y gaeaf ac yn sicrhau poblogaeth fridio uwch ymhlith yr adar llawn dwf yn y gwanwyn canlynol. Yn dilyn hynny, bydd arolygon yn cael eu cwblhau trwy gydol y prosiect i gofnodi niferoedd adar a pheillwyr er mwyn dadansoddi effaith y dulliau hyn.
Ceir tystiolaeth wyddonol fod y technegau hyn wedi hybu niferoedd adar tir fferm mewn ardaloedd eraill yn y DU a nod y prosiect hwn yw profi’r un canlyniad ar ddwy fferm tir pori yng Nghymru. Gobeithio y bydd y prosiect yn dangos y gallai’r mesurau syml hyn fod yn ddulliau effeithiol o warchod adar gan gyd-fynd â systemau ffermio da byw masnachol ar yr un pryd. Gyda’r posibilrwydd o symud tuag at gefnogaeth gymorthdaledig i ddarparu nwyddau cyhoeddus ar ffermydd, mae’r prosiect hwn yn anelu at gynnig enghraifft o sut y gellir gwneud hynny ar raddfa’r fferm.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Matthew Goodall
Project coordinator